Emulsifying device



Jan. 21, 1964 w. J. RAYMER 3,118,654

EMULSIFYING DEVICE Filed Feb. 27, 1961 Warren 4/. Ray/77 er INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,118,654 EMULSH'YING DEVICE Warren 3. Raymer, 156 Herman Professional Bldg, Houston, Tex. Filed Feb. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 91,363 6 Claims. (Cl. 25998) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an emulsifying device.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for emulsifying liquids having means for thoroughly mixing the liquids through turbulence.

In preparing repository antigen injection emulsions, it is necessary that the prescription fluid for the particular allergy be thoroughly mixed with an emulsion oil, under exacting sanitary conditions. It has been the practice to mix such fluids by hand, passing the mixture from one syringe to another, so that the small opening in the syringe will cause turbulation and emulsify the fluids. Great care must be exercised as the glass syringes are easily broken, particularly when pressure is applied to send the fluids through the small openings rapidly. It is an object of this invention to provide means for emulsifying fluids having means for causing turbulence and for introducing the fluid mixture into the mixing area and removing the emulsified fluid therefrom under maximum sanitary conditions.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an emulsifying device formed to enable a user to subject same to the usual autoclave sterilizing process and that may be manipulated manually or through motor driven reciprocation.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts more particularly defined in the following specifications and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the emulsifying device.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational view, in cross section.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional end view taken on the line 3--3 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional end view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a cylindrical member having one end enlarged and internally threaded as 2, the threaded area terminating in an internal annular shoulder against which suitable packing means 3' may be mounted and a reduced area forming a second internal shoulder and again reduced forming the access chamber 5 for fluids to be emulsified. The cylindrical member 6 has external threads 7 at one end and has the internally enlarged are-a forming the mixing chamber 8. An axial bore 9 extends through the member 1 and an axial bore 16 extends through the member 6, the bore 9 being provided with grooves 11, 11 in which suitable flexible packing, as the O-rings 12, 12 are mounted and the bore 11 being provided with grooves 13, 13 in which suitable flexible packing as the O-rings 14, 14 are mounted.

A piston rod 15 extends through the bores 9, 10, one end of the rod 15 being externally threaded, as 16, and the other end extending outwardly from the member 1 between the shafts 17, 17. Transverse bores 18, 18 are formed in the extended ends of the shafts 17, 17 and a suitable bushing as 19 is mounted therein for a purpose hereinafter defined.

A piston 26 is mounted on the rod 15 and is provided with suitable annular grooves 21, 21 in which piston rings 22, 22 are mounted. The piston 20 reciprocates in the mixing chamber 3, and restricted ports 23, 23 are formed "Ice through the piston to permit the fluids being emulsified to pass from one side of the piston to the other the passageways being enlarged from a point midway their respective ends to the terminus thereof at the end of the piston adjacent the chamber 5. The packing members 11, 11 and 14, 14- are spaced apart, respectively, a greater distance than the length of the piston stroke, so that the portion of the shaft in contact with the fluid will be within a sealed area at all times, during its operation, to prevent contamination and to maintain sterility.

An internally threaded access opening 24 is provided in the member 1 and a suitable externally threaded plug 25 seals this opening. A groove 26 is formed in the inside wall of the chamber 5 to permit the insertion of a needle, on a syringe, to introduce fluids to be emulsified into the chamber 5 and to withdraw fluids therefrom after emulsification.

When it is desired to prepare an emulsion, the fluids are prepared in the usual manner, such as by suspending the antigen in the emulsion oil, and the device herein described is placed in an autoclave, with the plug 25 removed from the opening 24, and after sterilization of the device, the fluids to be emulsified are introduced into the mixing chamber by moving the rod 15 until the piston 20 is at the end of its stroke away from the access opening, and the fluids to be emulsified are placed in a sterile syringe and the needle of the syringe inserted through the access opening 24 into the groove 26 and the fluids discharged from the syringe. The plug 25 is then inserted in the access opening and tightened and when so sealed, one end of the device may be anchored, as by means of the bushing 19, to a suitable rigid support (not shown) and a reciprocating means (not shown) mounted on the threaded end of the rod 15 and the rod reciprocated, causing the fluid in the mixing chamber 8 to be forced through the ports 23, 23 and due to the restricted nature of the ports, cause great turbulence and thus emulsifying the fluids. When the fluids are emulsified, the reciprocation of the rod 15 is discontinued, and the plug 25 removed and a syringe employed to remove the fluid, the needle of the syringe being inserted into the chamber 8, with the needle being maintained in the groove 26, through the opening 24, with the piston at the end of its stroke away from the opening 24 and as the plunger of the syringe is raised to Withdraw the fluid from the chamher 8, the rod is moved longitudinally to move the piston gradually towards the access opening 24 to move the fluid to the needle of the syringe. The piston may be gradually moved to the end of its stroke in the chamber 8 adjacent the groove 26, the groove providing space for the needle as the piston moves to the end of the stroke, and the needle thus being able to pick up all of the fluid in the chamber.

The packing employed in the device is of any suitable material that will withstand temperatures of 500 F. The temperatures encountered in an autoclave are from 250 F. to 270 F., so that the packing will not be harmed by sterilization.

While the foregoing is considered a preferred form of the invention, it is by way of illustration only, the broad principle of the invention being defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an emulsification device, a cylindrical member, a reciprocating rod axially mounted in said member, a mixing chamber in said member, a piston on said rod and in said chamber, ports through said piston to provide passage of fluid from one side of said piston to the other side thereof as said rod reciprocates, an access for introducing fluid to be emulsified into said chamber in a noncontaminated state, and a groove in the side wall of said chamber and in longitudinal alignment with said access adapted to receive a syringe needle.

2. In an emulsification device, a substantially cylindrical body member, a mixing chamber positioned horizontally in said body member, a reciprocating rod extending longitudinally through said body member and extending outwardly from each end thereof and axially through said chamber, a piston in said chamber and reciprocated by said rod, an access passageway into said chamber and a groove in said passageway in vertical alignment with said chamber to receive a syringe needle for introduction of fluid into said chamber and extraction of emulsified fluid therefrom without contacting said piston.

3. In an emulsification device, a cylindrical body mem ber, a mixing chamber in said body member, a reciprocating rod extending longitudinally through said body member, outwardly from each end thereof and axially through said chamber, a piston in said chamber integral with and reciprocated by said rod,'passageways extending transversely through saic. piston and being enlarged midway of their respective ends to the terminus on one side of said piston, an access passage into said chamber and means for maintaining the portion of the reciprocating rod in contact with the fluid being mixed sealed against contamination during reciprocation.

4. In an emulsification device, a cylindrical body memher having two sections, one of said sections being enlarged and internally threaded at one end, the other section having external threads at one end to be received by said enlarged internally threaded end of the first mentioned section, said first mentioned section having an access chamber therein and a groove formed in said chamber to receive a syringe needle, the other section having a mixing chamber adjacent said access chamber, an axial passageway extending through said sections, a reciprocating rod extending longitudinally through said sections in said axial passageway, a piston on said rod and in said mixing chamber, sealing rings mounted on said piston and on said rod adjacent said mixing chamber, said piston having a plurality of ports extending therethrough, said ports being enlarged at one end and means for anchoring said sections relative to said rod as said rod is reciprocated.

5. In an emulsification device, a cylindrical body member, a longitudinal axial passageway through said member, said passageway being enlarged within said body member forming a mixing chamber, the longitudinal dimension of said chamber being approximately the same as the longitudinal dimension of said axial passageway adjacent each end of said chamber, a reciprocating rod in said passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and outwardly from each end of said body member, a piston on said rod in said mixing chamber, ports extending longitudinally through said piston, sealing rings mounted on said piston and on said passageway adjacent each end of said mixing chamber, the stroke of said reciprocating rod moving said piston from one end of said chamber to the other without moving any portion of said rod exposed to the outside of said body member into said mixing chamber, a syringe needle access chamber adjacent and communicating with said mixing chamber and closure means for said access chamber.

6'. In an emulsification device, a pair of tubular sections adapted to be joined forming a cylindrical body member, one of said sections having a mixing chamber therein and an axial bore extending longitudinally therethrough, the other section having an access chamber therein and an axial bore extending longitudinally therethrough, a reciprocating rod extending longitudinally through said sections and a piston on said rod in said mixing chamber, said piston having sealing means mounted thereon and bearing against the mixing chamber wall, and said piston having transverse passageways therethrough, said passageways being enlarged from midway of the respective ends thereof to the terminus on one side of the piston.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,615,692 Muller Oct. 28, 1952 2,954,144 Elam et a1 Sept. 27, 1960 3,005,576 Trautmann et al. Oct. 24, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 339,751 Great Britain Dec. 18, 1930 

1. IN AN EMULSIFICATION DEVICE, A CYLINDRICAL MEMBER, A RECIPROCATING ROD AXIALLY MOUNTED IN SAID MEMBER, A MIXING CHAMBER IN SAID MEMBER, A PISTON ON SAID ROD AND IN SAID CHAMBER, PORTS THROUGH SAID PISTON TO PROVIDE PASSAGE OF FLUID FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID PISTON TO THE OTHER SIDE THEREOF AS SAID ROD RECIPROCATES, AN ACCESS FOR INTRODUCING FLUID TO BE EMULSIFIED INTO SAID CHAMBER IN A NONCONTAMINATED STATE, AND A GROOVE IN THE SIDE WALL OF SAID CHAMBER AND IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID ACCESS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A SYRINGE NEEDLE. 